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  4. Progress in the generation of spinal cord organoids over the past decade and future perspectives

Progress in the generation of spinal cord organoids over the past decade and future perspectives

Neural Regeneration Research, 2024 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.385280 · Published: September 22, 2023

Regenerative MedicineNeurologyBiomedical

Simple Explanation

Spinal cord organoids are three-dimensional tissues derived from stem cells that mimic the key characteristics of the spinal cord. Advancements in bioengineering have improved cell culture methods, leading to significant progress in spinal cord organoid technology. Current spinal cord organoids can simulate neural tube formation and exhibit diverse cytoarchitecture. Fused organoids with motor neurons show intricate neural circuits for functional assessment, making them valuable for disease modeling and drug screening. Spinal cord organoid technology is still in early stages and not widely used in translational medicine. Future development depends on good manufacturing practice standards, diverse cell phenotypes, and electrophysiological functionality evaluation.

Study Duration
Not specified
Participants
Not specified
Evidence Level
Review

Key Findings

  • 1
    Spinal cord organoids dynamically simulate neural tube formation and exhibit diverse cytoarchitecture along the dorsal-ventral and rostral-caudal axes.
  • 2
    Fused organoids that integrate motor neurons and regionally specific organoids exhibit intricate neural circuits, allowing for functional assessment.
  • 3
    Spinal cord organoids are valuable tools for disease modeling, drug screening, and tissue regeneration, contributing to progress in investigating spinal cord disease pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets.

Research Summary

Spinal cord organoids, derived from stem cells, mimic the spinal cord's structure and function, offering advantages over traditional models for studying spinal cord diseases. Organoids generated from patient-derived iPSCs can reflect specific genetic backgrounds and serve as a valuable tool for investigating the molecular basis of certain pathologies. Advancements in bioengineering techniques hold great promise for overcoming current limitations in spinal cord organoid technology and unraveling the mechanisms of human spinal cord development.

Practical Implications

Disease Modeling

Spinal cord organoids provide a valuable tool for investigating the molecular basis of specific pathologies using patient-derived iPSCs.

Drug Screening

Organoids serve as experimentally tractable systems for drug screening and regenerative medicine, offering advantages over conventional animal models.

Regenerative Medicine

Spinal cord organoids and SCLTs have a promising future and could shed light on new avenues for the treatment of SCI.

Study Limitations

  • 1
    Lack of standardized protocols and evaluation systems for spinal cord organoid cultivation results in significant heterogeneity and limited reproducibility.
  • 2
    Current spinal cord organoids are unable to fully replicate the characteristics of the spinal cord in vivo, lacking glial cells and nerve fibers.
  • 3
    Assessment of spinal cord organoids has primarily focused on morphology, with less consideration given to electrophysiological functionality and the bioelectrical environment.

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